Spaying Your Female Dog
88Female Dog Health
I love all dogs- male and female alike- but that doesn't mean that I want puppies. Now, generally when you adopt a dog from a shelter, the dog is already spayed or will be shortly after adoption. But you may still be iffy about the whole process.
The best thing that you can do to ease your insecurities is to make sure that you know everything you can about the full process of having a dog spayed.
It is actually one of the most important surgeries that you need to make sure that your female dog has because it will truly reduce the risk of breast cancer and it will 100% reduce the risk of an unwanted pregnancy.
Spaying your female dog is a routine procedure that your vet could probably do in his/her sleep, but to the average pet parent, it can be scary having their dog put under anesthesia. Below is the basic information that should hopefully help you ease any worries about having your precious pup spayed.
When to Spay a Female Dog
There are a lot of breeders who recommend that you wait until after the dog's first heat to get the dog spayed. This is because many people believe that a female dog is not fully done growing until she has her first heat, when she becomes an adult, so to speak, and by spaying too early, you prevent growth. Well, I'm not 100% on the accuracy of this, but it's up to you whether you believe it or not.
Otherwise, you should really consider spaying the dog before the first heat. Some vets will spay females as early as 6 weeks old given that the puppy weighs more than 5 pounds, but most vets wait until the puppy is at least 6 months old.
By spaying before the dog's first heat, you prevent an unwanted litter and you give your pet more protection against developing breast cancer in the future.
The actual stats on preventing breast cancer are as follows:
- A dog spayed before her first heat has a mere 0.5% risk of developing breast tumors later in life.
- A dog spayed between her first and second heat has an 8% risk of developing breasts tumors.
- A dog spayed after her second heat has a 26% chance of developing breast tumors, which is the same as a dog who is not spayed.
The only time that you want to wait until after the first heat is if your female puppy has severe vaginitis, as it can be "cured," so to speak by letting her go through one heat cycle before spaying her.
If you wait too long, your dog's odds of developing a uterine infection greatly increase. If you do not have the dog spayed by the time she's 5 years old, her odds of a uterine infection are pretty high. The treatment is to surgically remove the uterus, but if you don't notice the signs of the infection early enough, then there may not be anything the doctor can do.
Sometimes, you can get your dog spayed during her heat, but very few vets will actually do it as it is more complicated during the heat, and saying this that means it's more expensive. I personally waited it out until my American Pit Bull Terrier was about 8 months old before I had her spayed, trying to get as close as I could to her first heat without actually having to experience it.
For more information about a females in heat, check out Tips for a Female Dog in Heat
What's the process of spaying a dog?
Although it is a pretty routine and basic procedure for vets, for a pet owner it can be scary, knowing that your beloved pup is going under anesthetics and having major surgery. It will calm your nerves if you understand the process.
The basics involve your dog being put under a general anesthesia just like a human would be, using a breathing tube in the trachea that is connected to the anesthesia machine. Your dogs heartbeat, breathing, and sometimes blood pressure will be monitored throughout the procedure, as well.
Your dog will be positioned on her back on a heated surgical table. The hair on the abdomen is shaved and the skin is cleaned with a surgical scrub.
Using a scalpel, the vet will make an incision, and depending on the size of the dog the incision will vary between 1.5 and 4 inches long. The vet will locate the uterus underneath the bladder and follow each horn of the uterus up to each ovary. Then using clamps and sutures, the vet will tie off the blood vessels before he/she cuts the uterus and ovaries free and removing them.
The vet will then suture the abdominal muscles back together, and then sutures or glues the skin back together.
The anesthesia is turned off, and the vet techs will watch your dog as she slowly wakes up, where she will be moved to a recovery kennel.
What happens after the procedure?
Depending on your vet, they will either require that you leave your dog overnight or they will allow you to pick up your dog later in the evening.
Some dogs will show some signs of discomfort after the surgery, but not all will.
In most cases, your dog will act completely normal after the surgery, but you want to monitor what the dog eats due to the anesthesia. Sometimes dogs will react to the anesthesia just like humans do.
Many vets will recommend that you half the dog's normal diet for the first meal, and offer ice chips instead of water.
It took about 3 days for my APBT to fully recoup her surgery, as she got sick drinking water much less eating an ice chip.
It will typically take about 10 to 14 days for the incision to heal.
What are the risks of spaying your dog?
For the most part the biggest risk is death from unpredictable anesthetic reaction, excessive bleeding, or an abdominal infection. It is extremely rare for a healthy young dog to die as a result of being spayed.
Other complications can include fever, pain, skin irritation the sutures, or reaction to the anesthesia (typically throwing up).
Female Dog Spaying Myths
A few myths associated with spaying and neutering dogs include the following:
- She will no longer want to protect her family or home. (Protection is a natural instinct that cannot be taken away by removing hormones. The actual extent of the protection trait, will depend on genetics, environment, and training.)
- She will get fat and lazy.
- She will either stay a puppy or revert to puppyhood forever.
- It's expensive. (Remember spaying your dog once prevents a full litter of puppies that you have to feed, care for, and find homes for.)
- She'll be sad and upset with me because she can't have a littler of puppies. (She doesn't want the puppies. You do. Your female dog will not act or behave any differently if you breed her once or if you never breed her at all. It's all animal instinct, and if you remove the hormones for the most part the instinct is gone.)
Disclaimer: Please be aware that the advice in this article should in no way replace that of a licensed veterinarian. If you have any concerns, you should consult a veterinarian.
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Comments
I would definitely see the vet and potentially consider spaying the dog if she's having complications with her first heat. I've never really heard of 3 weeks, no bleeding and still swollen, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't happen by any means.
My puppy got spayed on Thursday and I picked her up about 4:30 pm. She's been very sleepy since. It's Sunday now. Is this normal?
She may still have the anesthesia in her system. She may also be in a little pain, which could be making her a little lethargic. It's normal. Now, if it continues for an extended period of time, I would definitely ask your vet.
We had my six month old shih tzu spayed last week. It has been six days. She has a swollen like lump on one side of the incision. I am concerned. Is this just trauma from the incision?
It's probably from the incisions. I know when my APBT was spayed, she had an internal stich pushing its way out. The vet plucked it out and the lump went away. You may need to have the vet check her out just in case.
Is the normal procedure for spaying a dog removing the uterus and overies?
for the most part yes
I had my golden spayed today and she is acting very groggy and tire. She is peeing, having bm's, and vomiting often. (They are small). Am I just overacting?
Yes, if you had the procedure done the same day as those symptoms, it's all normal. My APBT was nauseous for up to three days after. Limit food and water intake. Stick with ice chips for the first 24 hours.
I had a 7 month old English staffordshire terrier that I had spayed. She was a patient at the local Banfield office and on their "pupppy" plan. Unfortunately, our baby died the day after her surgery. Cause of the death was not revealed in the autopsy but her belly was full of blood and one can assume she bled to deathe. We now have a 12 week old English staffy who is a patient at a competent, trustworthy veterinarian practice. Thank you for the information regarding spays.
I'm sorry for your loss. Hopefully, the procedure will go smoothly this time. It's very unfortunate that the autopsy didn't determine the cause of death though.
We've decided to adopt a 6 month old Flat-Coated Retriever (mix). She's coming home tomorow, but they are also spaying her on that same day. I'm kind of nervous because I don't know how she'll react, but we have visited her for a couple of days and she is really quite sweet. Has never even mouthed us really. We have a 3 month old German Shepherd, I will keep them separated at least until night because they will both sleep in my room, and I dont want her to get frustrated by a bouncy pup but I'm wondering if I should properly introduce them before this, other than just through his crate? I'm also really nervous about upsetting her digestion because I dont have the same food she's probably used to eating. Any comforting advice would help, please and thank you.
Since she's getting spayed the day you get her, you'll want to keep them separated at first so that she can heal up. You don't want to bust the stitches, whether internal or external.
Introducing them should be much easier since they are both puppies. To be careful, you can first really introduce them in a neutral setting, meaning not your current pup's house. If you current pup is used to the back yard, try the front yard or a park or something like that.
As with your hub about neutering male dogs I can really appreciate the pragmatic and well researched advice given in this article.
I also had my dog spayed last year and it's the best thing I ever done for her, as male dogs used to hang around outside the front gate waiting for my dog to come out, since I had her spayed, the male dogs looked elsewhere. I also agree that spaying your dog do reduce the risk of developing cancer.
A very interesting topic and I would like to say keep up with your good work with your site. Have a great day.
I had my female dog spayed yesterday, she has since vomited three times and is very weak, I carried her outside to see if see would eliminate and she just stayed in the spot I put her down and did not move. Brought her back home and placed her the living room and she sat down and has not moved. I administered her pain medication and placed her in her crate. Called vet and was told to monitor her behavior after pain meds and she if there is any inprovements. Are these normal symptoms?
Sounds like normal symptoms. She's having a slight reaction to the anesthesia, which is nothing to worry about. It should take a few days before all the anesthesia is out of her body, depending on the size of the dog.
Thanks for the update Whitney, I did forget to mention that she does have an appetite. I gave her a full portion of food and she ate it. Maybe that was not a good idea but I hope I can get her to have enough energy to eliminate. If she worsens I will let you know. Thanks soooo much.
You should not feed a full portion of food. It's recommended that the first night or two that you only offer half the normal portion.
Agreed, however I was not advised of such by my Vet and it wasn't until I read some of your responses that I was made aware of this. Hopefully she will not vomit and will eliminate when I take her out. I will slowly bring her diet back to normal. Thanks Whitney, you are the best!
It is odd that your vet didn't advise you of this. Your little girl should perk up within a day or so though. Just make her take it easy.
I just dropped off my 6months 5.5lbs Shorkie Tzu to get spayed today... I am nervous because she is a small pup and its during her heating session Yikes!
So you have a Shih Tzu/Yorkie mix. She should be fine, although the process is a little more complicated during heat.
I had our 9 lb Shorkie spayed on Wednesday. She was lethargic and sick until Saturday and was slinking around, dragging her belly across the floor. She hasn't eaten a thing and is vomiting what looks like the dog version of bile. She is drinking a tiny bit and I have been letting her lick ice. I called the vet as her recovery doesn't appear to be going well. She is also licking her incision all of the time. (I was suprised she was discharged without a cone collar.) The vet told me to put Benedryl cream on her incision and to give her a 1/4 tsp of liquid Benedryl. The cream seemed to help, but the liquid Benedryl made her heart race and bugged her out. She is still turning away from her food (Royal Canin Yorkie for Puppies). Should I inisist the vet see her tomorrow? Thanks
They generally aren't discharged with a cone. I'm sorry to hear she's recovering poorly. Try baby benedryl. You do NOT want to offer adult benedryl. If you did, that is highly likely the cause to the rapid heart beat.
my dog is in season now do i have to wait very long after her season to have her spayed she has suffered urinary problems from birth so i have been advised to let her have her fist season before i consider having this done,,
You shouldn't have to wait too long. Consult your vet to make sure the time frame though.
your good i just had my golden retriever spayed yesterday. shes already had two litters. shes taking the surgery very well, but not eating. is that normal? that could just because it was because she was in the pound for a week without her family. she probably had flashbacks from bieng abused when she was young when she was in that tiny cage.
She'll adjust. She's just adjusting and recouping from the surgery.
My 2 yo Chihuahua was spayed 2 days ago. She is moving around better today & eating/drinking well, but her incision area is very bruised, the area covers most of her abdominal area. There is also a small area of redness, like blood under the skin. The vet says this is normal or can happen. I guess I am worrying about internal bleeding. I know Chihuahuas are small fragile dogs but i can't help but worry .Can you advise?
It's normal. Chihuahuas aren't as fragile as you may want to believe. Just remember this was a pretty intensive surgery, so it will take time for the wound to heal. Generally they (dogs in general) heal pretty quick.
I have a doberman pincher, 1 years old, spayed 5 days ago, she is still lethargic. Is this normal?
How lethargic is she? Have you consulted the vet? Depending on how lethargic, it may be normal. I know it can take some dogs a little more to recoup the anesthesia than others.
My dog was spayed on Friday (it's Monday now). She is a German Shepherd/Lab Cross weighing in at about 47 pounds (she's 6 1/2 months). Everything seemed fine, but yesterday the top stitch started to bleed a little bit (not gushing, just leaking blood). It kept doing so, so I put bandaids over it and just went to bed early. Today she seemed fine (no bleeding, took bandaids off), but once again it started to bleed a bit, so I put a bit of polysporin on it (I called the, vet, she said it's okay).
At what point should I begin to worry? She has a cone on her head and socks on her back feet so she can't scratch or lick herself. However, she is an extremely active puppy, so when I take her outside the minute she sees another person, dog, bird, pretty much anything that moves she tries to run, jump, etc.
Will this go away on its own or will I need to go back to the vet? It's a very small amount of blood. Is it normal?
I wouldn't use regular bandaids. Just leave it alone and watch it.It is normal.
Hi,
My little jack Russel was splayed on Tuesday,she is fine herself eating/drinking,but she is still a bit swollen is there any thing i can do to get the swelling down
The swelling is normal. You can consider a warm compress if she'll lay on it.
I have question, I got my 12 month old lab spayed on friday and its now sat. She has been vomitting up orange liquid and wont eat or drink. Took her to the vet they gave her iv fluid and something to make her stop throwing up, when i was walking out she stopped and pooped out about a cups worth of pure blood, i took her back to them and they gave me meds to help, they said if she does it again then to take her to the er, got home and she drank a little water, ten minutes late she threw up, then i took her outside and she pooped out nothing but blood again. Everything is closed besides the er clinic but i dont have that kind of money, what could be wrong with her. Is she going to die?
Your only option is the emergency vet. I'm sorry to hear that the the spay didn't go over well. When your dog is throwing up and pooping blood, then it's not a good sign. A vet is the only thing at the moment that could save the dog.
HI there I am about to purchace a male Groodle, (golden retriever cross poodle) They are insisting I get both My male and My Mums Female, fixed, spayed and Neutered before we take them home, which they will only be 5 weeks old. This does not seem right. What are the implications of early spaying?
First off, if you're getting the puppy at 5 weeks, that is wrong, and you should not purchase from that backyard breeder. Puppies NEED to be with the mother until at bare minimum 8 weeks. I'd find another option to getting the same mix, whether another backyard breeder or a shelter.
Look for a shelter who has the same mix, and you'll come off better. It'll be cheaper and spay/neuter will be included as with shots up to date.
You can spay as early as 6 weeks, but it's not recommended by most. Early spay/neuter can slightly increase risk of cancer (but cancer is going to occur in 1 in every 4 dogs on average anyway). The decrease in hormones can slightly alter growth. And basic risks of death in surgery. Because the pup is still small, there are potential risk for more complications during surgery.
But, a person allowing pups to leave mom earlier than 8 weeks is not a person you want to get a pup from.
We adopted our dog last Tuesday from a local shelter, she is between 9-12 months old, she was spayed the day before we got her. Her would looks really good, she doesn't lick it or scratch it, but she is hyper and it's impossible to keep her from going upstairs & also jumping on the couch, we have a low couch, but it still concerns me. It is Friday now and like I said, everything look great.
The woman at the shelter said to try to keep her calm & out of water & all of that stuff for a week, so that's only 2-3 more days, will the wound be healed by then?
Sometimes it can be hard to keep them calm. Just do your best at it. You just don't want her to bust the stitches.
Congratulations on the new dog. And pat on the back for adopting.
thank you for getting back to me so quickly!
we are trying our best, and we have heard a lot of our friends say the same things about when they got their dogs fixed. it's not easy AT ALL to get puppies calm! hahaha.
but like i said, her wound is looking the same as it did, it's clean & looks great.
Good luck. It can be hard keeping them calm.
I had my 6 month old Papillon spayed on Tuesday. I've been keeping her confined to her crate as she is VERY hyper, and likes to jump. Her incision was closed up with surgical glue. She has figured out how to position herself so that she can reach it even with the e-collar on. I took her up to the vet to get a bigger e-collar but they didn't give us one. They cleaned the area and re-glued it. It started bleeding a little bit so they put even more glue on. They tightened her collar but she has a long skinny neck, and he keeps sliding down to the bottom of her neck which enables her to be able to reach the incision. They gave us Rimadyl for the pain, Simplicef for a just in case antibiotic, and Acepromazine for hyperactivity. She can still reach her incision though, and I'm worried she might lick it too much. The vet is closed for the night and also for tomorrow so if something goes wrong, it would be bad. Am I overreacting? What can I do to get her to stop licking?
There's not hing you can do to stop the licking. Just keep an eye on her. You don't want her to lick it oo much as it can cause irritation, not necessarily licking the glue off. She's just licking the wound to heal it, it's a natrual reaction. But you don't want her to excessive lick it.
i just adopted a dog from the local shelter. They had her spayed on wed and its friday now and she does have much of an appetite, is this normal or should I worry
Yes after two days it is normal. Just try to offer her a little bit of food. If it persists, contact your vet.
Congrats on your new adoption.
I have 3 dogs - 1 male, 2 females. My male and 1 of the females have already been fixed. Tuesday I took my other female to get spayed, i was able to pick her up that same day around 430p. I already had her crate set up for her and as soon as we came in the door she was aggressive to the other 2 dogs. I have kept them seperate but both of the females seem to want to fight every chance they see each other even when they are in seperate kennels. Is this normal? we have had our 2nd female for almost a year now and she has never shown any sign of aggression. Im worried they wont be allowed around each other now.
She's not feeling well and in a little pain or soreness, which is probably what's causing her to be irritable to the other dogs. Give her time.
My dog was spayed Friday and everything was fine until Saturday night she peed on the floor. She has done it at least 5 times since then. She isn't peeing excessively...she sleeps throught the night without going. She is trained to go on pads as has used them the other times. I have not given her any meds since Saturday afternoon and she still plays and runs around inbetween playing.
I have a eight month old female great dane. I had her spayed one week ago. She hasn't wanted to eat much and she hates her pain meds. We have been putting her meds in treats and getting her to take them. My concern is she has puss coming from her vagina that I just noticed this morning. I called her vet and made an appointment. I'd like to know if this because the vet didn't do the spay correctly or if this sometimes happens after a spay.
Melissa, She was just put under the knife for major surgery. Sometimes dogs will have mistakes, especially when not at top form.
Dawn, I'm not sure about puss from the vagina. Typically, if there was going to be puss, it would be from the wound. Your vet will be able to tell you what's up.
Hi, we just had our 6 month old silky x shihtzu spayed. She hasn't done a wee since we have bought her home. That was 8 hrs ago. She has done a poo, but no wee. Which is very strange for her. Could this have something to do with the operation?
Probably. Remember she just had major surgery. She's probably very sore.
I had my 15 month old Lab/Chow mixed spayed Thursday, she had loose stool Friday morning which didn't concern me since that can happen with the Metacam injection you had. Her appetite has not faded one bit but today (Sunday) she has not gone out to pee since early this morning and has not pooped since Friday. Should I be concerned?
Ok so apparently my dog is really spoiled and lazy. I should have also mentioned that I live in Arizona and it was about 111 today and she layed next to me on the sofa most of today with me rubbing and petting her. My guess now that she went out and went #1 and #2 is that she just didn't want to go outside during the day and was satisfied with holding her pee until she was about to burst judging by how long she urinated for. So no worries; she's fine. :o)
The heat probably causes her to be more lazy. As for going to the bathroom, I've found that it's not uncommon after surgery. Just make sure that she's drinking and eating fine. If it persists, you may want to consult your vet, but since it's just been a few days, I wouldn't worry just yet.
I do not like the idea of spaying any animal (dogs included). Regarding female dogs, one should allow a first litter to be born before spaying a female dog ... it is a matter of health.
You're right, and by letting your dog have one litter of puppies, you're not going to do anything beneficial to your dogs health or reducing risk of cancer by having her spayed after a litter of puppies. Statistically, spaying after a litter will not reduce cancer risks.
By breeding the dog, you're not helping the over population issue, and you're certainly not helping your dog's potential health concerns.
I have a 7 month old chihuahua pug mix. I just got her spayed on Wednesday and now its Friday. She seems to be having a hard time controlling her bladder. She also just shakes all of the time. She is shaking and peeing. Is this normal???
She just had surgery, expect some complications in the beginning. If she continues shaking and excessively peeing, you'll wantto contact your vet on Monday.
I have a lab/huskie mix who got spayed yesterday (9-9-09) and i notice today (9-10-09) that were the incision is its bleeding but not that much like its just leaking is that normal?
A little leakage should be fine. If it continues, you should consult your vet.
I had my 7 month old Shihtz spayed today (9/11/09). She is extremely lethargic. I had one potty (urine) since being home. She has not interest in food. All of this sounds normal, correct? The vet did not inform me of how to keep the wound clean. Can you give me some information clean? Thanks.
I fixed my female Miniature Schnauzer on thursday morning(2days ago)she was send home same day in the afternoon. That same day she throw up and that was the only time so i didn't worry because I realize it could be the anestesia. She didn't want to eat anything that day but on friday she did eat really good ( I fed her Gourmet beef entree from science diet instead of her regular food). Today saturday I realize when she pooped there are really small spots of blood is that normal?
TJ Yes that is normal for the time frame. Just make sure that the dog doesn't lick it and irritate it.
Jessica, The anesthesia is a big factor in why the dog isn't feeling good. sometimes it will take more than a few days before the dog perks back up and gets back to normal. As for the blood, that I'm not sure. If it continues, call your vet Monday morning.
My 4 month old female Rottie underwent surgery on Thursday. On Saturday, she busted several staples and I had to rush her to another vet-mine wouldn't answer her emergency #-and he had to put her under again and stitch her. She is a VERY hyper puppy and enjoys jumping a lot, which she is still trying to do-I try stopping her. She is not sad, has been eating a little less than normal and is still drinking plenty of water. What I am worried about is that today, Monday, she developed an oval shaped bump right under her incision. It doesn't look red, not bleeding or discharging-so far. She has not allowed me to touch it. I called the doctor and her secretary or technician told me to get a crate to prevent the jumping and to give her adult benadril twice a day to calm her down. Im worried about this bump; how long should it take for it to go down? and should I really give her adult medication?
The crate was my first thought when you said she's hyper. The benedril will help keep her calm, as well; there are some human meds that are safe for dogs. Personally, I'd stick with baby benedril not adult. As for the bump, it could be an internal stitch (if the second vet restitched with internal stiches instead of staples, which is generally more common), or just irritation. Just watch it. If it doesn't hurt her, it shouldn't be as big of a concern, but if it doesn't go down within say a week, you'll want to take the dog back to the vet to have checked out.
Hi, me and my wife adopted a dog two days ago (adoption from a shelter at petco). she is suppossed to be spayed and have all of her shots but the adoption agency was unable to give me any paperwork or even provide a rabies tag that belonged to the dog!(They gave me one from another dog) this concerned us, we checked her for a scar on her belly and found nothing, took her to our own vet and she said that she could not find a sign the dog had been spayed. shouldnt the dog still have a scar at 11 months. I know they go away after some time but. do you have any advice on how to double check if she is spayed. thank you
You need to contact the shelter ASAP. They may have given you the wrong paperwork on accident.
My black mouth cure - Chloe was just spayed on Monday. The next day she was wanting to jump and stretch. Is stretching okay for her to do? I know my vet said to keep her on the ground as much as I could..but the stretching part she loves it. We also live in an upstairs apt.. Is it okay for her to walk up and down the stairs?
My dog was spayed on the eighth. she is extremely hyper and was begging for food right away. all was well then. now her stomach seems to be a little bloated. its kind of like a pregnant belly right in the stitch area. now my dog is usually very thin. but this just kind of concerns me a little. i haven't found anything online about it. so i figure it is probably just still some swelling?
Ashley, I'd keep her as low key as you can. She should be fine climbing the stairs at low pace, but don't run up them or anything.
Britt, it's probably just swelling, but swelling from the 8th may be a potential concern. I'd have your vet look at her just to make sure all went well with the surgery. More than likely, it's just swelling though.
We had our Welsh Corgi spayed 6 days ago and she has had a few accidents in the house and her crate since. She is 7 months old and was house broken previously. Is this normal and if it is, how long does it last?
I've never heard of it as an issue related to a spay procedure, but it seems that many people experience it. Because I've never heard of house breaking issues after a spay, I couldn't tell you how long it lasts. Just try taking her out more and being a little more watchful. Don't get mad at her.
We just had a new female dog , Mimzy, spayed two days ago. She seems fine, but our two intact males will not leave her alone.. They act obsessed with her as though they think she is in heat.. It seems way too early for real hormonal changes to be occuring.. but we are questionning their overt reaction to her.. and yes we are keeping her awau from them.. and keeping her very quiet and in an elizabethan collar so her stiches can heal.
This is the first time in years we have dealt with this.. We have always had Males and show our dogs which, of course, you can't do when they are intact so we have been limiting ourselves to males..
my 6 month old dog was spayed on monday 14 sept now on sun 20 sept she seems to be having a season, with some bleeding? is this a common or normal reaction after being spayed? she has never had a season before that is why she was spayed young so she never would. do i need to worry
Johnsouthshore, you want to keep the males away from her to reduce stress. Otherwise, they could be obsessing over her because they know she was gone for something and that she is different with her.
Penny, I would definitely see your vet about that. It is not normal. Is she bleeding from the wound or her bottom area?
I AM ADOPTING A PITBULL TERRIER PUPPY THUSDAY THE SAME DAY SHE IS GETTING SPAYED WHAT PROBLEMS SHOULD I BE WORRIED ABOUT
I would like to thank you for giving me peace of mind about the pouch my dog got after surgery. You were correct. It did go away after two weeks, she still has a tiny bump but nothing compared to what she had. She got her stitches removed 4days ago, but now the surrounding area is a bit red? Is this normal?
We had our Rosie spayed on Tuesday. She came home Wednesday. Appetite good, drinking, eliminating well, etc. On Friday morning, I noticed some bleeding from her incision. By Friday Night, the bleeding would come in bouts, seeming more. A call to the vet. A rush to the hospital. Emergency surgery to see what was causing the bleeding. It's Saturday morning now. The vet called to say she's restitched, resting and comfortable. I am a nervous WRECK to bring her home on Monday. Even giving her sedatives prescribed by her vet doesn't seem to keep her very calm. She's a springer. It's her nature to run and jump : ( She hates her crate and prefers to sleep on the leather loveseat BUT I am thinking I should keep her crated the full 7-10 days? : ( I guess just a words of reassurance is all I need. Poor baby.
RosiesMom: the same thing happened to me (minus the vet answering the phone). I STRONGLY suggest you keep her in the crate. My dog healed a lot better and faster after I put her in one. I would also recommend to put her in an isolated room where she won't see you and your family often, because then she'll start to cry or bark and that can affect her healing because of the pressure that those actions place in her abdominal muscles.
In the end it is harder on us than it is on them. It was the hardest thing to do that week but now my puppy is happy and jumping and being her old self :)
Thank you for the words of wisdom, Rottie Parent. Your advise re: crating her in an isolated room seems to be the solution. As much as I can't wait to pick her up tomorrow (I miss her like CrAzY!) I am going to be a wreck imaging it happening again. Ugh! The crate idea makes the most sense. Thank you SO much. I am glad your pup bounced right back after her experience. I swear, I can't wait to have Rosie bounding around the house & yard like she normally does. 7-10 days ontop of the already 3 days doesnt seem like much when you look at a whole lifetime with our treasured furbabies : )
Ok, we are back to Rosie AGAIN. We have taken turns staying home with her, keeping her sedated with acepromazine, leash walking only. Mind you, before her 2nd emergency re-incision, she was FINE to be crated 8 hours everyday while we work and go to school. Well...little Miss "Exhuberant Rosie" was crated lastnight when we had to leave as a family. Somehow, and we have NO idea how (or why) she must have freaked out and somehow scootched OUT of her wire crate. (Haven't a clue how or more importantly, why) I am talking maybe a 3 inches gap that she somehow managed o squeeze under and only IF she was able to squeeze between the tray and latched door. Soooo, now she has a really red, tiny bit bloody eye, inside or near the 3rd eye lid. Now we have the worry of recrating her today. Luckily, NO damage to the spay suture line. Thank doG. She sees her vet next week. We are monitoring the condition of her eye AND still keeping her mildly sedated and giving her the Rx antibiotic from her spay X 10 days. I am @ wit's end. A dog who was perfectly crate trained and spent 8 hrs daily happily crated, has turned into a Houdini and wound up with a nasty looking eye injury in the process. I SO want my normal, active, happy, bouncy girl back. UGH! Why her/us? Maybe it's seperation anxiety or animal hospital flashbacks? Don't know.
I'm sorry you're having such a time with her. It's probably the separation anxiety that had her squeeze out. I've seen it happen with other dogs- my mother's St. Bernard/Collie mix squeezed through the top of her crate through a hole about 6"x5" give or take, where she'd bent the bars a little. If you can get a plastic kennel, that may be better for now.
That's exactly what we have done, Whitney05. Hopefully, her brand new plastic "house" will keep her safe from harm. I can tell she is feeling much better (Day 7) and wants so badly to play. Her eyes still look horribly red and inflamed BUT, we'll see the vet early next week for her suture removal (and have him check her eyes) THEN, we can let her resume some of her usual activities. I so cannot wait to get this ordeal behind us.
It's good she's feeling better. I'm surprised it's gone so badly for her. I hope this doesn't deter you from spaying in the future. :-/
My dog was spayed on Wednesday and I just looked at her stomache and the stitches are gone, it's not bleeding looks like it's ok what do I do?
Were they external stitches? They may have pulled out which isn't very common, I don't think. I'd just give your vet a call.
What an informative hub! I loved it!! More hubs need to be written on Animal health!
Great Job
Rosie's experience will definately not deter my decision(s) in the future about spaying/neutering my pets.
It was OUR decision to have her spayed to prevent cancers, infections, etc's. We had NO intentions of ever breeding her. We DID weigh the decision carefully and chose to spay her. Period. I don't believe the "mumbo jumbo" in letting nature take it's course, letting her have a litter beforehand will somehow make her a "better dog", etc. etc. The shelters are literally overflowing with unwanted "pets". How many animals are PTS unnecessarily everyday because the poochie in your backyard bred with the neighbor's dog and the poor unsuspecting puppies wound up in a pound because noone wanted them anymore? I worked with a local rescue and the average person would be appauled at the numbers of animals that wind up in shelters. Simple. Puppies lose their cuteness and pet owners are faced with getting rid of that puppy that someday grows up. Sad. It makes me sick that people can dump off a dog like it's a piece of unwanted trash.
There is only ONE viable solution to pet over-population and that is to spay/neuter.
And as a lil sidenote, her sutures come out on Wednesday and SOON, she'll be chasing balls and birds like the maniac pup she is : )
That is good to hear. I hope she does well. Definitely let me know.
I definitely agree that there's no reason to let nature take it's course. If no one altered their dog/cat, then we would by far be overrun and the euthanasia count would be super crazy high. I agree that spay/neuter is the solution, as is more pet education. In many cases, very alert pet parents can live with un-altered pets and never have a litter, but that doesn't mean it's healthy for the dog/cat. Plus, people don't realize that if you breed your pet because you think it's pretty, some the people who buy the pups/kittens will think the same thing, so they'll have a litter, and the cycle will continue. I think there should be a license to be allowed to breed, and those who breed need to prove that their dog will benefit the breed- IE be a champion dog with a title in some competition whether it's agility, obedience trials, show, etc.- and of course have a great health and a line of dogs of great health. This, though, would potentially cause more in-breeding, which of course isn't good for the breed. So, when trying to reduce backyard breeders, you could potentially increase in-breeding (even though most reputable dog breeders who show their dogs aren't going to buy from a backyard breeder anyway).
(By the way I deleted the guy's nonsense that you responded to. I didn't want to agg him on any more.)
I agree with everything that has been said. My rottie has her papers and comes from a long line of competitive dogs. We could have made a good profit with her puppies, but in the end we didn't know the kind of life her puppies were gonna have (because of her breed we thought people were going to want them for fights and the like). We also consulted with out vet and she informed us of the risks (eg. cancer, hip problems, etc) that she could develop from having a litter, so we decided to spade her. The 1st couple of days where hard, with her sutures coming undone and other problems, but at the end (1.5 months later) she is happy and so are we.:)
Definitely. The risk are high, but personally, if the dog isn't titled with ribbons itself with a full bill of health, it doesn't need to be bred. Even if it has champions in the pedigree, if that dog isn't a champion, it doesn't need to be bred. There need to be stricter rules on breeding for sure. Too many people think they know what they're doing and really don't know all the consequences.
I know a girl who was bound and determined to breed her beagles because one is ckc registered (which isn't worth a crap) and the other akc (which she registered with ckc to get full ckc papered pups). After breeding, the male who already had bad behavioral problems before had worse after because he wasn't getting the same attention; it's very common for the male to start behaving poorly after a litter is born. Anyway, she just gave the dog to the pound and was like do whatever you want adopt him out if you can or put him down, I can't deal with him. She labeled the pups as registered with continental kennel club and sold them. She kept two. Her intent was money; she said to me unregistered beagles in her area get so much cash, so her CKC pups should get more. DUDE continental kennel club will register any dog of any MIX, so those pups in terms of being registered means nothing.
Anyway just my rant. ... I will say she used the money from the pups to get the mom and pups that she kept spayed.
Hi I got my american bulldaog xboxer 25 weekks spayed yesturday and she is fine.She ate last night,no vomiting and wants to play with our older male dog.The vet told me to keep them seperated for 10 days but she wants to play already.How long will she be inside seperated for?
Keep her separated for as long as your vet said. If he told you 10 days, then 10 days. I'm not sure what else you would like me to tell you. As for being inside, I personally feel dogs are better as inside/outside dogs, so if you want the minimum, then your vet said 10 days.
I lost my pug Frankie today. She was at the vet for a spay and her heart stopped, they couldn't get it going again....
I'm sorry to hear that. With any type of surgery there are risk of complications. I hope this does not deter you from spaying in the future.
only if I can be in the room during the procedure......
That probably won't ever happen. With any surgery that involves anesthesia you take on risks, death is a risk of any surgery. It is not as common as you'd think for a spay procedure. There are many more risks that are very common when you don't get your dog spayed. It is ultimately your choice, but a female dog who is not spayed is very prone to many health conditions that are fatal. You have to weigh the odds as to whether you want the dog to potentially (and much more likely) develop a potentially fatal health condition associated from not spaying her, or if you want to take the much LESS COMMON chance of death caused by anesthesia.
My female red nosed red American Pit was spayed on Tuesday.
On Wednesday I went to pick her up and she was dead. Supposedly everything was fine with the surgery. The vet said he would do an autopsy. Should I have this done.
She was perfectly healthy before the procedure?
I brought my 10 month old happy, healthy, fun German Shepherd puppy to get spayed Wednesday and she died 5 hours after the procedure. I want the world to know about this. I would have carefully researched it before taking her. I would have demanded pre-op test. My fault lies in my ignorance. Don't assume the vet knows what they are doing. I think she screwed up and killed my precious baby. My message is to be aware of the risk before bringing your pet in to get spayed.
My 6-month old shih tzu was spayed yesterday morning and I brought her home at 4:00 p.m. She was whining until bedtime and then this am, it's as if she never had surgery.......in fact, I had to call the vet to make sure her antics weren't going to open her stitches. The incision looks great and she makes me a little nervous, but she had a poop this a.m. and is peeing fine. Whew!!!!!!!
K Bryant, I'm sorry for your loss. Death is possible with any surgery. Hopefully, the autopsy will give you some answers.
Paula, I'm sorry for your loss. Death is possible with any surgery. The vet should have examined the dog before surgery whether requested or not.
Claudia, it sounds like she's doing well. Just keep her calm so that she doesn't bust her stitches.
wendy says:
10 months ago
my female is aout 7 months and is in her first heat, its been over 3 weeks. shes not bleeding any longer but is still very swollen. But she is driving my male crazy. I intend to breed otherwise she would be spayed. Are we on the downslope and when will the swelling go away. Someone please help me....